Worldwide, increased emphasis is being placed on organisations’ ability to manage impartiality and conflicts of interest – as well as the technical competence of people, inspection processes, and equipment.
This is of crucial importance when it comes to supply chain compliance, both for large companies with complex supply chains, and contractors themselves who are required to publicly demonstrate compliance. Both parties need to understand the level of competence and reliability that goes into the auditing process that they are undergoing.
To that end, Alcumus has further refined and strengthened its already robust procedures by undertaking a new, enhanced route to SSIP membership. It covers the inspection of health and safety documentation to determine compliance with the Safety Schemes in Procurement’s (SSIP) Core Criteria Assessment Standard. It does this by examining independence, impartiality and competence for audits.
What is UKAS?
These processes are independently audited by UKAS, the only UK Government-recognised accreditation body. UKAS assesses and accredits organisations, such as Alcumus SafeContractor, that provide a number of services — including certification, testing and inspection. As an independent organisation, UKAS underpins regional and global quality infrastructure with its expertise, helping consumers and businesses trust the reliability of the products and services they acquire.
Alcumus SafeContractor Ltd is now accredited as a Type C Inspection Body in accordance with International Standard ISO/IEC 17020:2012. This standard puts greater emphasis on an organisation’s ability to remain impartial and effectively manage conflicts of interest. It also encourages companies to put a magnifying glass on their employees’ competence, processes, and equipment to ensure that they are meeting the expectations of their customers and regulatory bodies.
As a peer-reviewed process, recognised around the world, and endorsed by the UK Government, it showcases an Alcumus business culture that values quality and transparency.
Why this matters
Alcumus SafeContractor is one of the first and largest SSIP schemes in the supply chain compliance space to receive its UKAS accreditation. As a leader in contractor prequalification, Alcumus is committed to abiding by the best practices we are helping other businesses to employ every day.
“Now more than ever, businesses care about the costs and risks imposed through their supply chains,” explains Gemma Archibald, COO of Membership at Alcumus. “This accreditation further demonstrates to Alcumus SafeContractor customers the quality, competence, safety and reliability of our services.”
This accreditation will have a positive impact on organisations regardless of size or sector. As Gemma Archibald describes: “Companies of all sizes are seeking a trusted partner to help them reduce risks in their supply chain, while our 35,000 SafeContractor members can now prove even more credibly that their business is safe, stable and ethical.”
The accreditation is testimony to the robustness of Alcumus SafeContractor’s internal procedures whilst still ensuring the assessment process is proportionate to the risk profile of individual contractors. “Ultimately, our choice to seek accreditation for Alcumus SafeContractor reflects our mission to ensure that our customers have complete confidence in our offerings,” says Gemma Archibald. “Our customers can rest assured that Alcumus is operating under the highest global standards for good business, and that we will continue to ensure we are meeting that mark.”